What a strange
way to respond to the question, "Who are you?" I am quite certain that the last time someone
asked me, "Who are you?" or "What's your name?" I did not
respond in the negative, "I am not Dustin Hoffman!" (Penny, my wife,
says I look like him—something to do with Rain Man, I think).
By the way, in
case you have not noticed, we are dealing with John the Baptizer again, not
John the Revelator. As you may recall he
has been spending an inordinate amount of time on the banks of the Jordan River
baptizing those who come to him and also proclaiming the soon arrival of the
promised Messiah-- the Christ. He not
only calls his listeners to repentance but also announces the advent of the
Kingdom of God. That's a lot of
good. He is truly a special man.
But when asked who he is; when tempted by his enquirers to make a name for himself beyond his calling as prophet, he first makes it clear who he is not. He is many things and is perhaps gifted in many ways, but he is not the Christ. He has a mission from God and a message of hope, but he is not the Messiah. I would also do well to remember that too. I am not the Christ (that seems obvious!). There is only one Messiah, and it's not me (although at times I may act that way)! The Messiah is the One and Only Word of Life, Light, and Truth. The Christ is with and one with God! Last time I checked-- I was not. Being God is best left to God.
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